Public Property Agency says procedures of expropriation for land of future U.S. Embassy in Moldova almost completed

The procedures of expropriation for properties on the land meant for the construction of the new United States Embassy in Chisinau are largely completed, and the project is moving to the next stage. Director General of the Public Property Agency (APP) Roman Cojuhari has made statements to this effect. He provided details on the current stage of the process and on how compensation for owners was determined.

According to Cojuhari, all expropriations were carried out based on valuation reports prepared by independent appraisers, in accordance with legal methodologies. Some of the former owners have already collected their financial compensation, while for those who have not yet submitted requests, the amounts have been deposited in special accounts.

“After we had finalized all expropriation procedures, some owners collected their money, while for the others, the funds are kept in dedicated accounts. All valuations were carried out by independent appraisers, not by the Public Property Agency,” explained the APP Director.

Assessment of compensations and court challenges

The APP head stressed that the institution he leads did not set the amount of compensation and does not have the legal authority to fix the prices. The value of compensation was determined exclusively by authorized experts, who applied more valuation methods: analysis of the potential income of the buildings and comparison with existing market prices in the Chisinau municipality.

Before the procedure was finalized, property owners had been able to submit objections to a commission created by the government to resolve disputes. After examining them, the commission issued its conclusions and the APP completed the administrative stage.

Nevertheless, some owners disagree with the amounts set and have challenged the decisions in court. The courts will ultimately determine whether the calculated compensation is appropriate.

“Lawsuits have been filed by owners who do not agree with the established amounts. The court will determine whether the sum is correct or not,” Roman Cojuhari noted.

Status of remaining buildings and the Republican Stadium

According to the APP, only a few specific cases remain to be clarified, including the situation of certain structures associated with the former Republican Stadium, an entity organized as a joint-stock company and currently in liquidation. The authorities are continuing discussions with the United States Embassy to clarify the legal details regarding these assets.

The APP Director also said that there are no properties on this site belonging to persons subject to restrictions or sanctions, thereby refuting certain interpretations that have surfaced in the public space.

Next steps: settling the difference and continuing the project

The Public Property Agency has provided the necessary information to the United States Embassy, and the American side has already requested the bank details for paying the difference between the advance previously paid and the amounts covered by the state for compensation granted to property owners.

The project implementation procedure is ongoing, and any litigation does not block the overall process, as these cases will be resolved separately by the courts.

The authorities note that, once the final amount of compensation is determined, the legal stage can be fully concluded, which will allow moving on to the actual implementation of the construction project for the new headquarters of the United States Embassy in Moldova.